The Fishery & Our Location

Andros Island, the largest of The Bahama Islands, is actually several islands of which there are three main inhabited islands: North Andros, South Andros and Mangrove Cay. Mangrove Cay is in between North Andros and South Andros and is surrounded by the waters of the Bights, wide and meandering waterways that bisect Andros from east to west. The Bights, known as the North, Middle and South Bight are themselves dotted with countless uninhabited cays and islets with shallow shores.

Mangrove Cay Club is located on the north shore of Mangrove Cay which is the south shore of the Middle Bight. The lodge is tucked just inside the Bight far enough from the windward east side of the island to provide us with sheltered access to the flats and estuaries of our fishery.

We chose this location to give us water access to mile after mile of prime bonefish water without ever having to trailer a boat to a launch point or take a rough boat ride in the open ocean.

We have access to all of the waters of the Bights, the eastern flats and the remote and legendary West Side.

It is widely known that bonefish follow the tides, using them to feed in shallow water. Tides on Andros behave in an odd way that works to our advantage. When the tide is low and rising on the east side, it is high and falling on the west side and vice versa. This gives our guides the advantage of being able to move through the Bights all day, never leaving you sitting on a shoreline waiting for the tide to “be right”.

There is no tide or moon phase that cannot be successfully fished at Mangrove Cay Club.

Andros bonefish are plentiful and average 3 to 5 pounds with regular appearances of fish 6 to 10 pounds. Several 11, 12 and 13 pound fish are landed every season.

One huge flat on the West Side of Andros has been labeled “The Land of the Giants” and justifiably so. Good numbers of very large fish can be found here on a consistent basis.

However, do not think that the “grass is always greener on the other side of the island”. Our daily recorded statistics prove that the waters just minutes away from the lodge are equally productive in both size and numbers. In fact, some of the largest fish have been taken within sight of the Mangrove Cay Club just across the Bight around Big Wood Cay and Moxey Creek.

Bonefish are seen in schools of anywhere from a few fish to very large numbers, often in the hundreds. Large fish tend to travel in singles and doubles although they can hang out in large schools with smaller fish.

The Bights and West Side of Andros have soft bottoms and are best fished from the bow of the skiff.  Wading is done on hard, sandy bottomed flats which are all located on the eastern shores and the south west of Andros.